Is the masses age back? [Archives:2006/938/Opinion]
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb
Arab commentators have described the overwhelming uprising that lately took to the streets in protest to the caricatures offending the Prophet Mohammed in Danish newspapers, and their re-publication in European press as return of the public's holding of the reins of their affairs. It means that the public have decided not to wait for the rulers' action in defense of peoples' dignity. This impression expressed by the commentators was enhanced by organization of campaigns for boycotting Danish products and very quickly scored great success.
As a matter of fact those results are not bad in themselves. Resorting to demonstration characterizes the democratic mechanism in demanding, and political struggle and boycotting as a weapon, is used by the United States of America against states that it considers as its adversaries. Boycotting is sometimes implemented for simpler reasons and slogans such as protection of the consumer against price rise or protection of domestic products against foreign competition. However, to try in such a speed to describe what has happened as a return to the age of the masses, has a considerable amount of exaggeration. The rising that swept Islamic countries and the street and even some non-Islamic cities, has in reality a specified goal, expressing the noble anger against intentional impingement on ideologies and sanctities, demanding the offender for offering apology. It is difficult to deem that rising, in this regard, as return of the masses of the people to the status of determining their destiny, and the destiny of their homelands. The immediateness of the action and the objective that characterized that rise, despite of attempts for investment it politically, it revealed that the matter is related to sweeping and legitimate wrath and an expression of a painful wound needs to heal by the removal of its causes. The anger under the burden of the wound is the factor that united demonstrators and religious preachers from Cairo to Sana'a, to Amman and Gaza, to Istanbul, Jakarta and Islamabad. It was observed that in many cases there were religious and social organizations, rather than political or unionist or parliamentary, that called for those demonstrations and that gave them a religious characteristic, unifying demonstrators. The demonstrators have not gathered behind other interests in remote countries having different political and social priorities. To give them political dimensions and messages, seems to be either fabricated and beyond the natural context of the situation or just immediate opinions.
It is too early to say that the age of masses is back. However, it must be pointed out that it is necessary for the Arab governments and parliaments to give attention to issues of the nation and find practical solutions for them away from adversaries and friends, and the imperative distinguishing concerning the situations the societies are experiencing. These situations are embodied by deteriorated security situations, increase of unemployment and search for suitable jobs for university and institutes graduates, manipulation of prices, disappearance and smuggling of medicines as well as doctoring elections or in good preparation for them. The governments have to continuously observe the public needs and issues. Fifty years before during the first masses risings, there was not a culture interested in what was going on in the colonized countries despite that the general educational and cultural level was not as it is nowadays, and there were no media and communication instruments worth to mention. Also, there were no popular parties and forums agitating instincts and expanding, as much as they could, the circle of adversaries and enmity, as is the case of today. The masses were acting and moving without the help of satellite channels, and they were dreaming of a better future. Now they have lost both and therefore they may think of going back to demanding for their rights, even if moved through organizing the public within correct frames, for defending legitimate goals by peaceful means and realization identical to the aims of comprehensive construction by respect of human rights and peaceful transfer of power.
Shall we seriously read what is happening, or do we want chaos?
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb is an economist and a professor in Political Science. He is the head of a number of professional associations, such as the Arab Group for Investment and Development
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[archive-e:938-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-04-17-p:opinion]
